Brutally beaten driver Steve Utash speaking, breathing on his own, according to daughter

1:20 PM, Apr 11, 2014

5:50 PM, Apr 11, 2014

Steve Utash wakes up from medically induced coma

WXYZ

(WXYZ) - Clinton Township driver, Steve Utash, who was brutally beaten by a mob in Detroit is speaking and breathing on his own, according to his son and daughters.

Last Wednesday, Utash accidentally hit a boy on Morang and Balfour in Detroit. When he stopped to check on the boy, he was brutally beaten by a group of men. He has since been in a medically induced coma.

On Friday, Utash's daughter Mandi Emerick posted an update on his condition on their GoFundMe page, set up to raise money for his medical expenses.

The post says "He is off the ventilator and is able to breathe on his own." She goes on to say her father is speaking but delirious, often yelling "Help," "I don't want to die," and "Please get them off of me!"

She speculates he has flashbacks to the beating but says he does not remember the attack. Emerick told 7 Action News at times, her father’s memory is cloudy.

"He'll look at me and say you are my daughter Mandi… Mandi Marie. You're my daughter. God gave me a daughter. You're my daughter. Then sometimes he looks at me and doesn't know who I am."

She and her siblings are grateful to hear their dad’s voice again.

"It's great,” said Emerick. “It's great even though it's to his full normal voice because the tubes have been down for a week…but to be able to hear his voice and say I love you even if he doesn't know what he is saying it is still good to hear him say stuff."

It has been the longest week of Joe Utash’s life. The son of Steve Utash told 7 Action News he is very thankful to all of the support and prayers from the public.